Photo copying machines



1966 D. v. BAGLOW ETAL 3,263,990

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PHOTO COPYING MACHINES Original Filed June ll, 1959 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 A TTO/ZNE Y United States Patent 3,263,990 PHOTO CGPYHNG MACHINES Denis V. Baglow, Weybridge, Surrey, Reginald William Johnson, Middlesex, and Alfred Ernest Block, London, England, assignors to Block & Anderson Limited, London, England, a British company Original application June 11, 1959,8421. No. 819,760, now Patent No. 3,120,793, dated Feb. 11, 1964. Divided and this application Nov. 13, 1963, Ser. No. 323,365 Claims priority, application Great Britain, June 16, 1958, 19,198/58 Claims. (Cl. 271-51) This invention relates to copy sheet delivery means for a copying machine such as a photo copying machine. A particular, although by no means exclusive, application of the inveniton is to a photo copying machine employing the diazotype process and suitable for production and control system work in oflices and factories. One such form of machine is described in our coapending application No. 819,760, filed June 11, 1959, now Patent No. 3,120,793 from which this application is a divisional application.

According to the invention, each copy sheet, after processing within the machine, is caused to be fed upwardly at an angle inclined to the vertical from between a pair of contra-rotating driven rollers over a third roller which is displaceable in an upward direction in timed relationship to the delivery movement of said copy sheet at an instant subsequent to the emergence of the trailing edge of such sheet from between said pair of rollers whereby the trailing edge region of said copy sheet is raised into contact with a fourth roller arranged to be rotated in a direction to cause reversal of the previous delivery move- :ment of said copy sheet and its further conveyance along a path overlying said pair of rollers.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more readily understood, one constructional embodiment thereof will now be described by way of illustrative example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view, with certain parts removed, of a photo copying machine incorporating one embodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 2a and 2b form, in combination, a longitudinal sectional view taken approximately on the line IIII of FIG. 1; while FIG. 3 is an enlarged scale detail view of the principal control cams and associated members of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the machine shown comprises a suitable rigid framework and casing 10 of boxlike form and including a base plate 11 and opposing vertical left and right hand side plates 12, 13 respectively. Within the casing 10 and extending horizontally between the side plates 12, 13 is disposed a cylinder 14 of transparent material, such as glass, said cylinder being mounted for free rotation about its axis by means of suitable bearing arrangements carried in the opposing side plates 12, '13. A plurality of axially spaced endless belts 15 are arranged to contact with and embrace the outer surface of the cylinder 14 over some 270 arc, said belts at the points of entering into contact with and of disengaging from said cylinder being supported respectively by their passage around horizontal rollers 16 and 17 which are also suitably journalled in the opposing side frame plates 12, 13 at positions lying towards the front of the machine. Each belt loop is completed to the rear of the cylinder 14 by passage of the belts, first around a further horizontal roller 18, then over another horizontal roller 20 and finally around a rearward horizontal roller 21 before returning along an uppermost stretch 22 to the rolle 17.

The rollers 20 and 21 are supported in fixed positions 3,263,990 Patented August 2, 1956 within the side plates 12, 13 but the roller 18 is mounted for movement bodily away from the cylinder 14 under the influence of tension springs for the purpose of maintaining the belts in a state of constant tension.

The cylinder 14 is arranged for continuous rotation in the direction of arrow a, FIG. 2, by means of the aforesaid belts 15 and for this purpose the shaft supporting the roller 17 has secured thereto a chain sprocket 23 engaged by an endless chain 24 which passes over an idler sprocket 25 and a driving sprocket 26 secured to the output shaft of a speed reducing gearbox 27 secured to and driven by an electric motor 28 mounted on the outside of the side plate 12.

Passing axially through the centre of the rotating cylinder 14 is a stationary light source in the form of a tubular mercury-vapour discharge lamp 3-3.

Conveyance of the master and the copy sheet is ensured solely by the pressure of the aforesaid plurality of belts 15. Additional means are provided for guiding the master sheet and maintaining it in intimate contact with the surface of the cylinder 14 over the arcuate gap which is formed between the uppermost sheet discharge point where the belts 15 leave the cylinder 14 to pass around roller 17 and the lower sheet entry point where such belts 15 again enter into contact with the cylinder '14 after leaving roller 16. Such guiding means include a first rockable guide and separator member 37 in the form of a transversely disposed series of spaced and shaped metal plates or an equivalent metal bar secured to a horizontal spindle 38 rotatable in the side plates 12, 13 and disposed just below the discharge point. Further guide means and other mechanism for effecting the feeding-in of both copy and master sheets in timed relationship to the rotation of the cylinder 14 are provided as described in the aforesaid co-pending application. As such means and mechanism are not concerned with the present invention, they will not be further referred to.

The upper region of the casing 10 is open to receive therein a delivery tray 67 which, in the operative position as shown in FIG. 2, rests upon transverse support bars 68. This tray, however, is arranged to be reversible whereby it can form an upper closure wall for the casing 10 when the machine is out of use.

For the purpose of maintaining copy sheets discharged from the cylinder 14 in contact with the surface of the belts 15, additional copy sheet guiding means 70 are provided. This takes the .form of a plurality of spaced vertical metal plates 71 carried upon transverse tie rods 72 each provided with a series of spacing rollers 73 which lightly bear upon the surface of the belts 15 or on the copy sheets carried thereby. The inner, rearward facing, edges of the plates 71 are of arcuate shape as shown in FIG. 2 to have a small clearance only from the belts 15. The whole structure of plates 71, tie rods 72 and rollers 73 is preferably resiliently mounted so as to be urged continuously toward the roller 17.

Located at spaced intervals along the upper stretch 22 of the belts 15 are disposed further transverse guide rollers 74 in contact with the belt surfaces and serving to maintain each discharged copy sheet in driving contact with the belts up to a deflector plate 75 leading upwardly to the nip between two parallel transverse rollers 76, 77 forming part of a developer section 78. This developer section includes a further roller 80, the rollers 76 and 80 being partially immersed in interconnected liquid throughs 81, 83 containing developer fluid supplied from a tank 82 removably secured to the outside of the side plate 13.

Above the discharge side of the rollers 76, 77 is disposed a further pair of contacting conveyor rollers 84, 85. These rollers, together with those of the developer section, are driven at a peripheral surface speed relating to that of the belts 15 by direct geared interconnection with the output shaft of the gearbox 27.

Immediately above the conveyor roller 84 is disposed a further transverse sheet support roller 86 journalled at each end in rocker arms 87 which are pivotally mounted one on each side plate 12, 13 and rigidly interconnected by a transverse tie bar 87a for efiecting movement of the roller 86 bodily between the lower position shown in full lines in FIG. 2 and that shown in dotted lines where the said roller engages with a further sheet delivery roller 88 which is journalled in fixed position in the side plates 12, 13 and is arranged to be continuously rotated at a peripheral surface speed which is high relative to that of the rollers 84, 85, in the direction of arrow b, FIG. 2, by a further small electric motor 90 through a belt drive 91.

Somewhat forward of the rollers 86, 88 which jointly form a sheet transfer means, are disposed two t-ransversely directed and forwardly convergent sheet metal plates 92, 93. The lower plate 93 is hingedly connected to the upper plate 92 at its right hand end and the upper plate 92 is itself pivotally connected to the side plates 12, 13 to permit separation of the plates for cleaning purposes. Behind the movable roller 86 is disposed a sheet transfer tray 94. This tray 94 is made readily removable and is so shaped that it forms a rear closure wall for the casing when the machine is out of use.

The control mechanism for the various cyclically operating elements will now be described with reference, more particularly, to FIG. 3.

Secured to the right-hand end of the cylinder 14 for rotation in unison therewith is a series of cam members including that indicated at 160. This cam member 100 cooperates with the nose end 104 of an arm 105 of a bell crank lever secured upon a stub shaft 1116 journalled in the side plate 13. The other arm 107 of such bel-l crank lever (see FIG. 2) carries a lug at its free end in 'slidable connection with an operating rod 108 which is connected at its uppermost end to the associated rocker arm 87. Such rod carries a helical spring 110 trapped between the lug on the lever and a fixed position abutment 111. As the cylinder 14 rotates, at an appropriate instant during each revolution the cam member 100 depresses the lever arm 105 to raise the lever arm 107 and rocker arm 87 thereby raising the transfer roller 86 into resilient contact with the continuously rotating roller 88.

The other cam members shown in FIG. 3 are concerned with the control of other elements of the machine and reference should be made to the aforesaid co-pending application for description thereof.

The manner of operation of those parts of the machine concerned with the present invention will now be briefly described.

Upon supply of current to the driving motor 28, the conveyor belts 15 and the cylinder 14 will be continuously driven by the motor 28.

Each copy sheet, overlying a master image sheet, is carried around the light source 33 by being held in contact with the cylinder 14 by the overlying belts 15. Eventually the master and copy sheets emerge at the discharge point adjacent the roller 17. As explained in said co-pending application, the master sheet is caused to remain in contact with the cylinder 14, but the copy sheet is deflected and travels with the belts 15 on to the upper stretch 22 under the applied pressure of the rollers 73 and 74. A further copy sheet presented in the meantime at the feed-in point of the machine can then be drawn in and positioned behind the same master sheet to make a second copy from such master sheet whilst the first copy sheet is being conveyed along the stretch 22.

Upon arrival of the discharged copy sheet at the end of this upper stretch 22 of the belts 15, it is deflected by 4 plate 75 into the nip of developer rollers 76, 77, where it is coated with developer fluid, and immediately thereafter passes through the subsequent squeegee and conveyor rollers 84, to emerge and pass over the top of roller 86, now in lowered position, on to the grid-like support of wires in transfer tray 94. If desired, heating means may be associated with the apparatus at this point to assist in drying the now developed copy sheet. The moment the rear edge of the developed copy sheet has emerged from the rollers 84, 85, it is no longer subject to any propulsion and accordingly comes to rest with its rear edge lying on the roller 86. At a slightly later instant, the cam member engages nose end 1414 of lever arm to move the further lever arm 107 upwardly thereby to move the rocker arms 87 upwardly so as to bring the roller 86 against the continuously-driven roller 88. The latter is rotated at relatively high speed and immediately grips and propels the copy sheet in a forward direction through the convergent throat of plates 92 and 93 into the fiinal delivery tray 67.

It will be apparent that numerous alterations and modi fications of the arrangements described with reference to the particular embodiment illustrated may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. In a document copying machine including'a stationary framework, first drive means, a horizontally,.disposed exposure cylinder rotatable in said framework by said first drive means, sheet feed-in means at the front of said framework adjacent the lower region of said cylinder and a copy sheet delivery tray for receiving the produced document copies located also at the front of said framework at a position spaced vertically above said sheet feed-in means, the provision of a copy sheet delivery arrangement comprising copy sheet conveying and guiding means for directing each produced copy sheet over a path extending towards the rear of said framework, a horizontal sheet support roller disposed parallel with said cylinder, pivotal support means for each end of said sheet support roller to effect movement of said sheet support roller bodily from a lower position where it is beneath said rearward copy sheet path to a higher position above said path, a horizontal sheet delivery roller mounted in said framework at a position above said sheet support roller where it is engaged by the latter when in its higher position, timed operating means coupled to said drive means and said cylinder for raising said sheet support roller to its higher position when the trailing edge of each produced copy sheet overlies said support roller thereby to grip said copy sheet between said support roller and said delivery roller, second drive means for continuously rotating said delivery roller in a direction to cause movement of said gripped copy sheet towards the front of said framework over a path above said cylinder and sheet delivery guide means for directing said forward moving copy sheet into said sheet delivery tray.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1 in which said second drive means operate to rotate said delivery roller with a peripheral surface speed which is substantially higher than that of the produced copy sheet through said copy sheet conveying and guiding means thereby to provide accelerated conveyance movement of said copy sheet into said delivery tray.

3. An arrangement according to claim 2 in which said second drive means comprise a separate electric motor for rotating said sheet delivery roller.

4. An arrangement according to claim 3 in which said sheet delivery guide means comprises a convergent throat structure of two relatively inclined planar sheets.

5. An arrangement according to claim 4 in which said convergent throat structure is positioned to direct the conveyed copy sheets over the top of a stack of produced copy sheets already present in said delivery tray.

6. An arrangement according to claim 5 which includes a substantially horizontal support extending rearwardly from said copy sheet conveying and guiding means to support said copy sheet during its rearward movement.

7. An arrangement according to claim 6 in which said support comprises a structure of open grid form to facilitate drying of the produced copy sheet.

8. An arrangement according to claim 7 which comprises heating means associated with said grid form sheet support.

9. The arrangement according to claim 8 in which said copy sheet conveying and guiding means comprises a pair of contra-rotating rollers having their respective axes parallel to said cylinder and disposed in a common plane which lies at an angle to the horizontal with the more rearward roller lower than the more forward roller.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,037,965 9/1912 Mortimer 1014l6 1,518,861 12/1924 Lipsius. 2,472,931 6/1949 Yohn.

M. HENSON WOOD, JR., Primary Examiner.

W. MCCARTHY, I. ERLICH, Assistant Examiners. 

1. IN A DOCUMENT COPYING MACHINE INCLUDING A STATIONARY FRAMEWORK, FIRST DRIVE MEANS, A HORIZONTALLY, DISPOSED EXPOSURE CYLINDER ROTATABLE IN SAID FRAMEWORK BY SAID FIRST DRIVE MEANS, SHEET FEED-IN MEANS AT THE FRONT OF SAID FRAMEWORK ADJACENT THE LOWER REGION OF SAID CYLINDER AND A COPY SHEET DELIVERY TRAY FOR RECEIVING THE PRODUCED DOCUMENT COPIES LOCATED ALSO AT THE FRONT OF SAID FRAMEWORK AT A POSITION SPACED VERTICALLY ABOVE SAID SHEET FEED-IN MEANS, THE PROVISION OF A COPY SHEET DELIVERY ARRANGEMENT COMPRISING COPY SHEET CONVEYING AND GUIDING MEANS FOR DIRECTING EACH PRODUCED COPY SHEET OVER A PATH EXTENDING TOWARDS THE REAR OF SAID FRAMEWORK, A HORIZONTAL SHEET SUPPORT ROLLER DISPOSED PARALLEL WITH SAID CYLINDER, PIVOTAL SUPPORT MEANS FOR EACH END OF SAID SHEET SUPPORT ROLLER TO EFFECT MOVEMENT OF SAID SHEET SUPPORT ROLLER BODILY FROM A LOWER POSITION WHERE IS IT BENEATH SAID REARWARD COPY SHEET PATH TO A HIGHER POSITION ABOVE SAID PATH, A HORIZONTAL SHEET DELIVERY ROLLER MOUNTED IN SAID FRAMEWORK AT A POSITION ABOVE SAID SHEET SUPPORT ROLLER WHERE IT IS ENGAGED BY THE LATTER WHEN IN ITS HIGHER POSITION, TIMED OPERATING MEANS COUPLED TO SAID DRIVE MEANS AND SAID CYLINDER FOR RAISING SAID SHEET SUPPORT ROLLER TO ITS HIGHER POSITION WHEN THE TRAILING EDGE OF EACH PRODUCED COPY SHEET OVERLIES SAID SUPPORT ROLLER THEREBY TO GRIP SAID COPY SHEET BETWEEN SAID SUPPORT ROLLER AND SAID DELIVERY ROLLER, SECOND DRIVE MEANS FOR CONTINUOUSLY ROTATING SAID DELIVERY ROLLER IN A DIRECTION TO CAUSE MOVEMENT OF SAID GRIPPED COPY SHEET TOWARDS THE FRONT OF SAID FRAMEWORK OVER A PATH ABOVE SAID CYLINDER AND SHEET DELIVERY GUIDE MEANS FOR DIRECTING SAID FORWARD MOVING COPY SHEET INTO SAID SHEET DELIVERY TRAY. 